Top 5 AVIF Plugins for WordPress To Optimize Your Images

I bet you heard of AVIF. If you haven’t, AVIF is a next-gen image format like WebP that delivers stunning visuals at tiny file sizes, thanks to cutting-edge tech from the royalty-free AV1 video codec. 

AVIF can shrink file size dramatically without sacrificing quality and supports advanced features like HDR and transparency.

On WordPress, just a few AVIF plugins are available to integrate with your workflow to convert and optimize images for this format. The result is blazing-fast loading times, a happy SEO boost, and a smoother experience for your website visitors. 

This guide explores the top 5 AVIF plugins for WordPress, unpacking their features and compatibility.

Why use an AVIF plugin in WordPress?

AVIF plugins could help WordPress site owners ditch the image speed struggle.

And here’s why you should consider one: 

1. Superior image optimization 

With AVIF plugins, you’ll ditch bulky images since they deliver the same visuals at a fraction of the file size. 

Expect a file size of around 20-30 % smaller with AVIF than with JPEG.

You’ll get lightning-fast loading times, reduced server strain, and a smoother overall visitor experience. Plus, you can batch-convert your existing image library to a superior format. 

2. Enhanced user experience (UX)

Visitors want faster loading times. A more responsive experience leads to lower bounce rates, increased engagement, and, potentially, better conversions.  

AVIF offers a better user experience than WebP since it transfers files faster and has better compression techniques.

While WebP uses V8 compression technology, AVIF uses AV1 compression hacks that are more advanced and lead to faster website load time.

Faster load times are a result of producing smaller file sizes compared to other modern image formats, as we can see in the chart above.

AVIF plugins come into play by automatically optimizing future uploads, ensuring your entire site reaps the speed benefits. Some plugins have advanced compression settings to balance image quality and file size.

3. Seamless Integration

No workflow disruption here. AVIF plugins for WordPress integrate seamlessly with your existing routine, whether you’re uploading new images or optimizing existing ones. 

They handle the heavy lifting, working directly within your preferred editing style (Block Editor or Classic Editor) for a smooth and efficient conversion to AVIF.

4. Improved search engine visibility (SEO) 

Search engines like Google prioritize fast-loading websites.

By leveraging AVIF’s compression, you can boost your site’s SEO, attracting more organic traffic and enhancing your online visibility.

5. Futureproofing your website

By adopting AVIF plugins now, you’re future-proofing your WordPress site and ensuring your visuals stay cutting-edge. 

Plus, you don’t have to worry about browser compatibility yet. 

Most AVIF plugins have built-in fallback mechanisms, automatically serving compatible formats like JPEG if a visitor’s browser can’t handle AVIF, ensuring everyone gets a smooth experience.

Top considerations when looking for an AVIF plugin

Make sure to find an AVIF plugin that ticks all these boxes: 

• File size reduction: AVIF’s advanced algorithms are the real deal, but not all plugins are equal. 

You’ll want to look for options that maximize those space savings, with robust optimization tools and even batch conversion features to streamline your library.

• Compatibility: AVIF support is still a work in progress across browsers. The top plugins will have your back, seamlessly serving up alternative formats like WebP for any laggards. 

• Image support: AVIF isn’t just about raw compression — it packs support for high dynamic range (HDR) imaging, wide color gamut, and higher color depths (up to 12-bit), which allows for more vibrant and accurate color reproduction. It also supports transparency (alpha channel), making it a versatile format for a variety of image types, from web graphics to professional photography​.

5 AVIF plugins to supercharge your image optimization workflow

If your WordPress site is battling sluggish load times, these 5 AVIF plugins should keep it flying fast by overhauling the image optimization workflow: 

1. ShortPixel Image Optimizer

Recognizing the potential of AVIF, we at ShortPixel seized the opportunity to integrate AVIF generation into our image optimization plugin for WordPress since April 2021.

By doing so, we became the first plugin capable of generating AVIF images on WordPress, setting a new standard for image optimization within the platform.

With ShortPixel Image Optimizer, you can easily optimize images and generate AVIF for them. Once the plugin is installed and set up, all you have to do is to enable this feature in the plugin settings, and run a bulk optimization. A guide is available here.

2. Imagify

Lately, with version 6.5 of WordPress that added AVIF support, more and more image optimization plugins incorporating AVIF into their features.

Since March 2024, Imagify has been another WordPress plugin able to generate AVIF files, similar to ShortPixel Image Optimizer.

So, version 2.2 is a big step forward because it now supports AVIF. This makes it easier for users to convert their images to this new format.

Imagify continues to offer WebP as a fallback, ensuring smooth compatibility and performance.

Developed by the team behind WP Rocket, Imagify remains one of the top choices for hassle-free image optimization.

3. ShortPixel Adaptive Images

ShortPixel Adaptive Images is a cloud-based image optimization plugin for WordPress.

It improves website performance and page load times by automatically scaling, optimizing, and serving images from a CDN in next-gen formats, including AVIF.

The plugin identifies images on your site once someone loads a page, optimizes them, and serves them appropriately sized and smartly cropped based on the visitor’s device and browser capabilities.

After installation and setup, you can enable AVIF support in the plugin settings.

3. Optimole

Similar to ShortPixel Adaptive Images, Optimole is a cloud-based image optimization solution for WordPress that supports AVIF.

Once installed and set up, you must switch on the “AVIF Image Support” setting in the plugin dashboard, under Settings > Advanced > Compression to ensure all the images are automatically converted to AVIF.

5. Converter for Media

Converter for Media is an image optimization plugin for WordPress that allows users to convert their media library images to WebP and AVIF.

However, it allows you to achieve this higher level of image compression by converting the images to AVIF only with the PRO version of the plugin.

Once installed and subscribed to the PRO plan, AVIF support can be turned on under the general settings of the plugin.

Summary 

In conclusion, AVIF represents a significant leap forward in image compression technology, promising visual quality at remarkably reduced file sizes.

AVIF not only supports advanced features like HDR and transparency but also ensures faster loading times and enhanced user experiences on WordPress websites.

The availability of dedicated AVIF plugins for WordPress empowers site owners to integrate and optimize their image workflows. These plugins automate the conversion process, delivering superior image quality while optimizing site performance and boosting SEO rankings.

Incorporating AVIF into your image optimization strategy is not just a choice for today but a strategic investment in the future of your WordPress site.